Honda Accord – Malaysia to launch three variants

Turns out the banner from yesterday’s post was spot on – the ninth-gen Honda Accord will be in showrooms on September 5, a day after the car is officially launched. Honda Malaysia will be introducing the car here in three variants – 2.0 VTi, 2.0 VTi-L and 2.4 VTi-L.

UPDATE:The Honda Accord has been officially launched, click here for the full launch report. Click here to read our review of the car.

As mentioned previously, the 2.4 litre version is powered by an ‘Earth Dreams‘ DOHC i-VTEC mill, good for 175 hp at 6,200 rpm and 225 Nm at 4,000 rpm. The 155 hp and 190 Nm 2.0 litre SOHC i-VTEC lump continues on from the outgoing eight-gen Accord, but has been given some minor revisions to offer better fuel efficiency.

Quite a bit on the kit list for the sedan, which is smaller and lighter than its predecessor, but with a roomier cabin and improved rear legroom (by 35.5 mm) as well as a larger boot (by 23 litres).

All three variants are fitted with ECON Mode as standard, LED daytime running lights as well as a multi-angle rearview camera offering a 180-degree view for better visibility and an expanded view driver’s mirror, so that drivers can see more of what’s around the vehicle. Also on, a smart key system and push-button ignition for the 2.0 VTi-L and 2.4 VTi-L; the base 2.0 VTi continues with the traditional keyed ignition.

As expected, the 2.4 litre variant gets the bells and whistles – there’s a Lane Watch Camera, which uses a camera system mounted on the passenger mirror for an enhanced view of the passenger-side of the road, up to two lanes wide. The blind spot information is displayed on an eight-inch full-LED backlit VGA intelligent Multi-Information Display (i-MID) screen.

Other bits on the 2.4 are LED headlamps, making their debut on a Honda in Malaysia, as well as Active Cornering Lights, which come on when the indicators are activated or when the steering wheel is turned more than 90 degrees to assist the driver in low visibility conditions.

As for safety kit, standard kit includes the usual fare of ABS, EBD, brake assist, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with traction control and Isofix mount points. The 2.0 litre models feature dual front airbags, while the 2.4 variant adds on i-Side Airbags with (OPDS) Occupant Position Detection System to make it four.

No pricing details, though ads for the car on oto.my offered an indicative pricing of RM149,800 for the 2.0 litre and RM175,500 for the 2.4 version. Still, this isn’t confirmed, so we’ll have to wait till next week to get the full lowdown on the car.

Anthony Lim believes that nothing is better than a good smoke and a car with character, with good handling aspects being top of the prize heap. Having spent more than a decade and a half with an English tabloid daily never being able to grasp the meaning of brevity or being succinct, he wags his tail furiously at the idea of waffling - in greater detail - about cars and all their intrinsic peculiarities here.

Malaysians, please wake up. The car in the US cost US$21,680. For that, you get full Japanese CBU quality and so many more airbags. That works out to about RM65,000.

In Malaysia, you get a CKD Made In Malaysia car for 3 x the price. The whole sandiwara the government gave to set up CKKD in Malaysia in the 90s was to make cars cheaper and more affordable for Malaysians. So how can a CKD cost 3X the price of a higher spec CBU from Japan? Has our government lied to us?

Lets forget the CKD thing for a moment. Lets just calculate assuming the car we get is CBU. If taxes and duties max out at 120%, how does this Accord sell for RM180,000 in Malaysia even? Mana ada logic?

So hard to understand. Soemore our car is so under spec. Go to the US website. See the standard spec. Its much higher than the toilet CKD we get here.

Are we supporting and giving a free ride to DRB Hicom again? For 27 years we have given a free ride to Proton. Now we have to give free ride to DRB Hicom also?

I cant understnad, everytime at your blog for every car Paul introduce, some smart Ah Beng always compare with prices in US. If you are not happy, dont buy lah. Or to make u happy, go US to buy yr car then.

its does not matter how much the airbag actually if the airbags are rubbish..
please, watch the crash test video in youtube..
u will understand why sometimes even the car has airbags, but still got low rating in crash test.
so far the accord is the best in its segment, even camry and audi A4 cannot feat the honda accord safety rating.

search in the tube -NCAP and IIHS (INSURANCE INSTITUTE OF HIGHWAY SAFETY)

Yeah man, it’s just so sad that most Malaysians still don’t appreciate Proton’s honesty and generosity. Only 3 car companies in Malaysia are generous enough to give 6 airbags, ESC and TRC in the C-segment (the other two are Kia and Ford). I mean, Proton could have just given 2 or 4 airbags like the Prevé, but they didn’t, someone in Proton must have listened to our complaints in October 2012, when they announced that all Prevé’s in Australia would come with 6 airbags.

I’m curious to see whether Proton gives 6 (or 7 ?) airbags in the upcoming Perdana replacement. It’s supposed to be based on the Honda Accord.

If Proton gives a rebadged Accord with 7 airbags, ESC and TRC standard, plus Lane Assist and the other cool stuff, at a discount price….. I mean, both Honda MY and Proton share the same parent company….. it might just be possible. Let’s wait and see. :D

To offer 2 or 4 airbags in a D segment car is embarrassing, and could hurt the brand. I mean, Honda offered a bloody B segment car with 6 airbags, and now for the D segment they have 2?! Offering 2/4 airbags is bad for resale value in future, and hurting the RV with a car that is sold because of RV is not a good idea. Besides, outside of Malaysia the Accord comes with at least 6 airbags.

Seriously what has happened to Honda’s design team? Their interior is perfectly fine in my opinion, however the exterior is the terrible one, especially the rear. Honda CRV, Civic and Accord has an OKAY front look, but their rear look is hideous! Honda needs to do something with their design.

Actually, this Accord resembles a lot from 1997 CG chassis Accord. Front and rear, especially the front, look at it you know it’s Accord, not Hyundai or VW.
I do Agree CR-V rear isn’t so good, but facelifted Civic is much better than before now. Accord rear I don’t has any complain at all, looks good to me.

175k is steeper than expected but wow on the level of kit on the 2.4. You’re really not want for anything. The 2.4 has more kit than the top of the line Touring USDM model (save for the V6). Good to know Honda Malaysia at least value and respect their customers enough to give them the best stuff (in stark contrast to Toyota), albeit at a price (but hey at least its there to buy).

Really? The US Accord has 6 airbags on all models. And the Touring comes with lane departure warning, collision warning system, adaptive cruise control, LED headlamps, heated front seats, HU with hard drive. I don’t see where the 2.4 has more kit than that USDM model… everything the Malaysian car has the US car has, and then some.

NO!!! 4 Airbags!! NO!!
although there are many new bell and whistle, the lane watch camera and the dual screen system and of course standerd VSA through all variants, LED lights ,but come on just 2 more and it would have been Ideal. That said I still think this thing slots between the Mazda 6 and the Camry. Not as crappy and smaller than the Camry, but not as well spec but bigger than the Mazda 6.

Interesting to note about that improve NVH, I have a Honda, and I know Honda’s infamous reputation for offering crappy NVH in the Japanese offering (Nissan if I am not mistaken giving the best), quite curious on the improvement.

Long way to go Honda Malaysia. The better Earth Dream powered, 6-Airbags US version does give the Mazda 6 a respectable fight, and it does please those that want a more conservative image. It can even keep up with the Mazda in a straight line even with the CVT, and in the test scores, safer (according to IIHS)
Over here, I’ll say the hierachy is something like Mazda 6 > Kia Optima K5 > Honda Accord > Nissan Teana > Hyundai Sonata > Toyota Camry. The Honda slot right in between, in other words, the ideal choice for those that wants to be conservative. more Taylor Swift than Miley Cyrus.

1) Exterior look — it reminds me of the 6th gen Accord. It looks rather old especially the rear part..
2)Interior Cabin design — more up-market and elegant. But too much gleamy fake wooden furnishing near the gear nob and door panels..
3)NVH — Accord is infamous in noise insulation. I wonder how the new Accord is going to overcome this by using the ANC or ASC.
4)Cabin vibration during idling — Accord is weak in this area. The keen buyer should compare it with Teana or Mazda 6..
5)Driving Dynamic — The 9th gen Accord with front Mc Pherson strut structure has strongly indicated its tendency of moving towards comfort biased. Recently, I was shocked by Mazda 6 2.5L with the well balanced chassis setup and the superb shock absorber setting, bear in mind that M6 is running with 19″ rims, the driving experience was absolutely great which I didn’t really feel like driving a big car. The Mazda driving dynamic is certainly better than the existing 8th gen Accord, I am keen to test the new accord but I am a bit doubt…(of course Ford mondeo is still the best in the class)
6)Car performance — Unless the “earth dream” could make a major breakthrough otherwise the characteristic of 2.4L I-Vtec would still performs sluggishly during the low rpm (below 3000rpm). I sincerely do hope the direct injection system could make the I-Vtec rev more lively during low rpm or else it would definitely being out performed by Mazda 6 or Teana not to mention the forced induction 508 & Mondeo.
As overall 9th gen Accord will still sell well by it’s brand effect…However, people are now more opened to other brands now. Accord, you better watch out…

as i kno, the exterior part more to conservative part, interior part, no comments, everyone is pleased with the design, current accord poor in NVH, but the new 2.4 comes with noise cancellation system where there are 2 mics pick up noise and cancel it thru speakers, vibration when idling also lesser for the 2.4 earth dream due to new mounting, but 2.0 still same coz itz a carry over, driving feedback is ok as honda alwiz are

Unfortunately no DI which means the Earth Dream is not a complete package for the Accord to be launched in Malangsia. Cost cutting by HM I guessed. For those who want 6 airbags, direct injection engine with 185 hp & torque of 249 Nm, then please wait for the face lift version 2 1/2 years later. If not your Earth Dream is only a half baked & half hearted dream. So just ignore this 9th gen. Accord for the time being to send a strong message to HM. The only saving grace left for HM is to launch the 2.0L Accord which will give u a complete Earth Dream package since it is a CBU from Japan.

4 airbags is quite a disappointment, Malaysia really boleh, our Accord is the least number of airbags in the world compared to American, Australian and even Thai!
But 2.4 really shines, 6 airbags, lane watch assist, active safety kits and new Accord infamous blind spot camera for side mirrors. And also Earth Dream Technoloy.
If want a 150K car, Mazda 6 is better value but for 2.4, Accord still has it’s strong point. Tons of safety features, gadgets, better NVH, better interior and more mature and gentleman looks with lower price.
No matter how people bashed Accord is, Accord is still miles better than a 4 speed, 2 airbags, terrible front, jokes features and bad interior Camry. Camry has nothing better than this Accord. So Uncle and Aunty, Accord is better than Camry!

I agree, between Accord and Camry, Accord is better bang-for-buck, good brand name (in Malaysia) is also an added bonus…

Though i think current Accord (9th gen) and Camry (XV50) is not quite a dramatic improvement compared to previous gen (8th gen and XV40 respectively)… In my opinion, the most improved car (compared to previous gen) is Mazda 6 and Hyundai Sonata/Kia Optima K5….

As for safety, government should do some kind of enforcement (standardize at least 6 airbags, VSC, TRC and ABS) at least to cars above RM70k….

Even I would personally go for a Mazda 6. But like with the Fiesta, my parentys wants a bigger car with bigger visibility, in truth they wanted a Vios. But after much persuasion ended up with a City, less roomy but better feature than the Vios, much bigger but not as laden as the Fiesta. If they were in the market again for a D-segment, we would also argue until we will finally have an Accord. I sat in the Mazda, and thou very nice, it felt creampt and vissibility out is rather poor, definitely not suited for the older generation. The Accord now takes the place where the Camry left(or fall) and the Mazda takes the place where the Acccord left.

PS: the news with the airbags are even worse, 2 for the 2.0l, 4 for the 2.4l, like the new Santa Fe, the downfall of an otherwise great car.

Honda oh Honda. Did you just copy Hyundai Sonata NF (2004-2010) model. Pity the Japanese companies, everyone is leaving Japan to Korea, afraid of earthquakes and radiation. Even Proton has 6 airbags and 7 speed now. No power to dream anymore.

Specs wise looks good enough, but safety wise, very stingy… Come on, 2/4 airbags?? Want to be like UMW ah?? Give at least 6 airbags it will be good enough, especially with “Good” IIHS ‘small overlap test’ results (compared to Camry, which is ‘poor’ even with ‘full spec’ safety)… Interior looks like an improvement, more inviting, simpler compared to prev gen Accord which looks too dark and gleamy for me.. Exterior too conservative I think, can do with more athletic design… Overall looks like a good effort by Honda, though could do with more newer tech and better design…

Almost every car, except for a Volvo and the Suzuki Kinash (or whatever) performed poorly on the small overlap crash tests. But at least most cars perform well on regular 40% overlap tests… the Accord can’t even perform well in that test.

If you crash this car at high speeds (80-110kmh), you WILL break or severely injure your legs. It’s because this Accord has a foot operated parking brake which will be forced against the driver’s legs in the event of an unfortunate crash. The electronic/ active safety kit is impressive, but the mechanical/ passive safety kit is disappointing, but expected nonetheless.

This car only scored 4 star in the ANCAP, in order to get 5 stars, the car will need 7 airbags (2 front, 2 side, 2 curtain and 1 knee) or a conventional handbrake (which is cheaper, but lazy drivers will still prefer the foot operated parking brake; think manual vs. automatic transmission).

Anyway, brand concious Malaysians will still buy this (over the superior Mazda 6), and we can expect the Accord to boost Honda’s sales big time.

Not really sure of 80-110kph, most Highway crash test conduct it at 64kph as standard. In fact I always wonder how fast is it until the point where Airbags and structural integrity becomes useless in saving ones life. People still die in the latest and safest Mercedes travelling waaay faster than the 64kph crash tested speed.

Hmm, I believe it has something to do with the car’s size and crumple zones. For example, the Smart city cars are 5-star ANCAP, but the driver may not be able to survive a high speed crash because of the super high impulsive force, even though the structural integrity is good. In a big 5-star ANCAP car, the impulsive force is lower because of the bigger crumple zones, and the structural integrity is strong too. Both cars are equally safe (because the cabin is protected), but it might not be safe for all drivers. Learned this from some UK tv show, can’t remember the name, so sorry. :(

I mentioned 80-110kmh cause I was referring to highway speeds in general, it is difficult to die in normal city driving, even if the car is not 5 star ANCAP rated. It’s sort of an exponential risk.

Anyway, the whole concept of automobile safety is to reduce the chances of death and injury, it’s still only a matter of probability. People will still die, but the number will decrease as automotive safety increases. :/

i’m dunno why there’s a lot of positive/ negative comments out here when only base on few photos and spec on paper?
At least wait until it released and have a test drive by your own before give comment.
Btw this are just my own opinion.

It is surprising that most of the reactions revolve around safety concerns – ANCAP rating and number of airbags. It is indicative in the continuing changing consumer preferences. Safety is important and resale value is seemingly relegated to second place. Maybe uncles and aunties are still thinking about RV but young professionals are focussing on safety. This explains the increasing popularity of cars that are well equipped with safety features and performed well in safety tests. Immediately, Ford Focus, Fiesta, 408, 308, 208 came to mind.

The interesting thing is what happens to RV once people put an emphasis on safety. A safety conscious person looking for a second hand may want to skip the Camry and Accord and look towards a Passat, Mondeo, 508, K-5, Mazda 6, C5, DS5, … instead. There are fewer of those cars on the second hand market, so that will quickly drive the price up as these cars are wanted. On the other hand there is a huge supply of Camry and Accord on the market, but lower demand due to poor safety. Say bye bye RV.

When you buy stocks or property you usually try to find something that is cheap now, but will get expensive in future. Property in a location that few years down the road will be very desirable for example. You don’t buy something that is already expensive and has little room to grow.

I’m happy to see so many people voice their disappointment at the minimal safety features on the new Honda Accord. At least it does show that the Malaysian driving public (at least those that read paultan) are becoming far more safety conscious than before.

Please make sure you voice your disappointment on the lack of safety features on Honda Malaysia’s official Facebook site too.

Been waited for the 9th generation of Accord, very disappointed with the spec, planning for the 2.4 ,now the decision is clear, I will pay another 15K more to get the new M6 2.5 , thanks you Honda Malaysia for ur kindness . pls look forward n compare ur new Accord with d right competitor, don’t compare the spec with Camrry………that not the right way of doing business. RIP Accord………..

Lovely interior, great looking dashboard. Finally they have decided to do away with carrying around a coffin on our lap :-) But thanks Honda, you have just pushed a notch higher, the resale value of the older Camry :-)

Somebody needs to seriously read more to prevent public stupidity, suck on this bro

“Active Cornering Lights (ACL)
Active Cornering Lights provide enhanced illumination when the vehicle is turning. Additional lights units have been subtly integrated into the existing lights units, casting all of their light to the side of the vehicle to help the driver in low visibility conditions. The light unit on the relevant side will be ILLUMINATED when the driver activates the indicators in that direction or turns the steering wheel more than 90 degrees. When the vehicle is in reverse, both lights will be activated to give a good view to either side of the drive”

Hello,i drive Mk 6 Golf Tsi with this feature & i’ve owned a wira 1.5L before.Are you hallucinating to even suggest a wira has this feature?Maybe you install it aftermarket,certainly didn’t come from manufacturer.

Active cornering lights feature allow the headlight unit to swivel &point to the direction where the steering is turned.At speed below 30km/h,the fog lights at the direction the steering is turned to,will illuminate,providing more light.This comes as standard feature in Vw,new Mazda etc.

Actually that Wira was rather innovative. Citroen had the feature in the 70s (though there they had additional lights connected to the steering, so it would point in exactly the right direction), but at some point forgot about it. Then Proton had it in the mid 90s, and at some point in the 00s BMW discovered the feature and praised it as the latest and greatest invention. THEN other brands like VW etc. copied it.

It is a nice feature when implemented well (tried it on a VW, quite nice. No clue how it was on the Wira).

I seriously wonder does most of you really test drive all of them before comment..

Jus read smt online n post their comment doesn’t help.. I really can’t understand when ppl said k5 is better (luckily most of them rank sonata lower) it had the worst steering feel I ever drive from any car in this segment!

I like the Mazda 6 for many reasons but jus couldn’t buy it for more reasons.. Mondeo? Jus forget about it..

Dislike or whatever but well most of you are jus clueless keyboard warrior

Not sure what you are talking about. 90% of the comments are about airbag. Will driving the car help? Unless you crash it of course and I hope it is a side pole impact. I am going to see where your head is going to hit. They key point here is that at 150K, one can get a car with 6 airbags and stay safe in an accident. I think YOU are the CLUELESS keyboard warrior. You are out of touch with global trends.

And your comments about Mondeo… Have you driven it it? If a turbocharged 2L engine is not good enough for you, I don’t know what will. Moreover, it is often rated top 3 or 5 in US reviews.

Although Honda has chosen a more “uncle” look for their upcoming Accord, it looks better than the ongoing one in my opinion. Overall, the Accord has not changed much in the exterior although it’s a brand new model (except for the E class wannabe tail lights) but the body lines are more refined and makes the car look much more decent. Anyway, Mazda 6 should be a better pick over this.

Choice of 2 or 4 airbags? What a joke… Or wait a minute…. The local assemblers surely know the Msian drivers well because they think Malaysian drivers all have heads as hard as a rock!!! And most drive like one too…… No wonder then.. pity us Msians!

2.4 litre version is powered by an ‘Earth Dreams‘ DOHC i-VTEC mill, good for 175 hp at 6,200 rpm and 225 Nm at 4,000 rpm. The 155 hp and 190 Nm 2.0 litre SOHC i-VTEC lump continues on
—————————————————–

Weak engine which need to be rev pass 4,000rpm to achieve decent torque, Honda shud look into force induction….look at those conti 1.4/1.6/1.8 force induction which can achieve those the HP as per honda’s 2.4 liter but higher torque of above 240nm at very low rev from 1,500rpm onwards….and the low road tax due to smaller cc.

anyway, some good sign ahead knowing the coming civic type R will be a force induction type 2 liter engine….soon will trickle to its normal accords/civics

The Honda Accord only scored 4 stars in the ANCAP safety test recently. It was a shocking result in a market where almost all the cars have 5 stars. The failure is attributed to the foot parking brake. In the front collision, it moved more than the permitted allowance for 5 star rating. In the same test group, the Kia Optima scored 5 stars. The reviewer recommended waiting for the new Accord Euro. We get two versions of the Accord here

what a huge disappointment for this honda accord. It is ugly especially on the rear tail lights. after the new Crv, and now this pathetic accords, I lost faith in Honda and will look at Mazda 6 2.5 or VW Passat

I heard from two SAs of separate showrooms that the number of airbags available in each variant of the all new Accod are as follows:
No. of airbags
(i) 2.0 Vti : 2
(ii) 2.0 Vti-L. : 4
(iii) 2.4 Vti. : 6

So if the above news from the SAs are true, then there should be less disappointment among those who are interested in the Accord.

Always barking about airbag in almost posting.airbag3x..if the car install 20 airbag and the driver not fasten the seatbelt,the risk from accident also higher.and how to know the more airbag in the car,the more safer it is?if the airbag having problem,how to stated the problem? First thing to do is change driving behaviour not just blame the car with 2 airbag etc..blame other is malaysian specialized

Some says preventive measures are better. When you drive in a comfortable and alert manner your chance of avoiding collision is high. So, visibility and minimal blind spots, good brakes, good insulation, no irritating noise and vibration are among major factors to be considered. Some says that you need to test drive it to suit your style of driving. Always the driver have to adapt to the car rather than the other way round.

Some says passive measures are crucial. Airbags, line change alert, etc.. are things that needed to be fitted in case of collision.

Drive sensibly. Buy a car that you are comfortable and can afford. Don’t feed your ego. Respect other driver not the car. We are only human so fragile compared to car.

What you want does not necessarily suit you. With all that said and done, be considerate to comments and compare or making reference to Proton. The employees are human just like you and me. They are also trying to make through each day facing the same task like us.

Nevertheless, we need to change our attitude while on the road. Give respect to other driver maybe some driver will give u the same, regardless of brandssss……………

for those of you seem to think that airbags save lives,think again.MB S-Class 280 with 4 occupants crashed at high speed.Multiple airbags.Only 1 occupant survived and he was the only one wearing a seat belt.The other 3 died,including Princess Diana. So if you gripe is about airbags,then you need to be reeducated.My gripe is what the hell happened to the 189hp Direct injection engine with CVT?

we pay one of the highest price in the world but yet we get the lowest spec. US pays the lowest and get the best specs. that can only mean one thing, gov dont care about its people, if not they will make regulation D segment minimum 8 A/B.. they can do it, but they choose not to cause they are laughing with the high tax they charge the people.

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